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Steve Whitmire
character: Rizzo the Rat.]] ' on ''The Muppet Show.]] STEVE L. WHITMIRE (b. September 24th, 1959) is a talented Muppeteer who started working for the JIM HENSON Company on March 24th, 1978. (his 18½ birthday).ToughPigs forum - At the UK premiere of Muppets Most Wanted on March 24th, 2014, WHITMIRE told the audience that it had been exactly 36 years since he joined the Muppets. Some of Steve’s own characters are Bean Bunny, Foo-Foo, Lips & Rizzo the Rat, his most famous Muppet character. He was also picked to take over the roles of Kermit the Frog & Ernie, following JIM HENSON’s very sudden, tragic death. He took over the roles of Beaker, following RICHARD HUNT’s death, & Statler, following JERRY NELSON’s retirement. His wife, Melissa Whitmire, has also puppeteered on occasion. STEVE’s Grouch related credits are the Bad Humor Man & Sharon Groan in [[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland|The Adventures of '''Elmo' in GROUCH'land]]. In 2017, fan blog ToughPigs.com reported that '''STEVE WHITMIRE was No Longer with the Muppets, & that MATT VOGEL would take over performing duties of Kermit the Frog beginning with a Muppet Thought of the Week video.ToughPigs.com [http://www.toughpigs.com/steve-whitmire-news/ "STEVE WHITMIRE No Longer with the Muppets"] by Joe Hennes, July 10, 2017 Replacements on WHITMIRE’s other characters are yet to be determined. Early Years Born as Steven Lawrence WhitmireSTEVE WHITMIRE on IMDb near Atlanta, Georgia, Steve Whitmire became interested in puppetry in his childhood, around the time that SESAME STREET began airing in 1969. Whitmire recalled, "I wrote a letter to JIM HENSON at the time, & he wrote back. It’s an amazing thing for a 10-year-old to get a letter back from a TV star."Interview with Berkmar High School Newspaper Building on that early enthusiasm, Whitmire created his own puppets & performed throughout high school, even winning the school talent show on 1 occasion. After graduating high school, he briefly puppeteered at local theme park The World of Sid & Marty Krofft, performing his own character Otis the Beach Bum, & later co-hosted The Kid's Show w/ his best friend Gary Koepke for WATL in Atlanta, which was nominated for a state Emmy Award.Plume, Kenneth Muppet Central interviewOfficial website of Gary Koepke Whitmire 1st made contact with the Muppets through CAROLL SPINNEY, who m he met at the Southeastern Regional Puppetry Festival in 1977. That fall, SPINNEY informed Whitmire that auditions were being held for puppeteers for SESAME STREET; upon calling the HENSON offices, WHITMIRE learned that JANE HENSON was coming to Atlanta the following week to inspect the Kermit the Frog balloon for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade & that she could meet with him while there. After seeing Whitmire perform, she recommended him to her husband, Muppets creator, JIM HENSON, who eventually formally auditioned & asked him to join the performers on The Muppet Show. His 1st day of performing w a s March 24th, 1978. From Right-Handing to Regular Whitmire slowly became a very major performer. On The Muppet Show he often performed 1-shot characters, right hands, & filled in when 2 of another performer's characters were in the same scene (for example, if Fozzie Bear & Miss Piggy were in a scene together, Whitmire would generally perform the puppetry for Fozzie while Frank Oz performed the voice for both of them). He was soon given some of his own recurring characters, such as Foo-Foo, Rizzo the Rat, & Lips, all of whom were minor characters on The Muppet Show, with VERY little dialogue. Whitmire became 1 of the core Muppet performers since performing on The Muppet Show, & received his own major characters on the 1983 show Fraggle Rock, where he performed Sprocket & Wembley Fraggle, & the semi-recurring role of Marlon Fraggle. He also added more characters to his repertoire over the years, performing many roles on [[w:c:muppet:The Jim Henson Hour|The '''JIM' HENSON Hour]], & 'Rizzo the Rat' would gradually become a core member of the main Muppet performers. The 1980s Following the end of ''The Muppet Show, Whitmire continued to work within the Henson fold. He performed SkekTek in The Dark Crystal, & was the only Muppeteer who both operated & voiced his character (Jerry Nelson also did vocal work on the movie, but didn’t puppeteer). WHITMIRE commented on this: "JIM HENSON & FRANK OZ had people submit tapes of what they thought a Skeksis would sound like, & it just so happened that the voice I did was exactly what they had in mind. So I just happened to get lucky & get a voice that worked with no particular effort... It just happened to be the one that was the right one." Whitmire also puppeteered for the 1986 Henson film Labyrinth, & starred as Mew in the TV special The Christmas To. In The Tale of the Bunny Picnic, Whitmire performed the special's protagonist, Bean Bunny. Bean Bunny would soon go on to become a main character, starting w/ [[w:c:muppet:The Jim Henson Hour|The '''Jim' Henson Hour]], for which '''Whitmire' also performed a variety of other characters, including Flash & Waldo C. Graphic. He also appeared on-screen as himself in The Secrets of the Muppets. TV Work in the 1990s WHITMIRE performed many characters on Dinosaurs, most notably B.P. Richfield & the face of Robbie Sinclair (with voices later looped) & was also heard as various 1-shot hand puppet characters, such as Mr. Mason Dixon. Following the series' end in 1994, he was paired w/ Dave Goelz as the title duo on The Animal Show, playing Jake the Polar Bear & various other characters. In addition to reprising Kermit the Frog, as well as Rizzo the Rat & Beaker on Muppets Tonight, WHITMIRE also performed the regular roles of Andy Pig & Mr. Poodlepants. Continuing Kermit & Others character: the legendary Kermit the Frog]] on SESAME STREET, Ernie.]] Steve Whitmire became the performer of Kermit the Frog after JIM HENSON’s tragic death, starting with [[w:c:muppet:The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson|The Muppets Celebrate '''JIM' HENSON]]. Although ''[[w:c:muppet:The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson|The Muppets Celebrate '''JIM' HENSON]]'' was his 1st on-screen performance as Kermit, Whitmire considers The Muppet Christmas Carol to be his first real production as Kermit. Later, Whitmire learned that there was consideration of him performing Kermit even before Henson died: "I have been told that Jim had said something about it to Frank. Not that I would perform Kermit when he died but that he would need somebody else to do Kermit some of the time because he was so busy. He never said that to me, but I heard that through somebody that it had been talked about. Just that the 2 of them were so busy, that they may need to have to find stand-ins for their characters, so I guess it had been mentioned, but the actual time I was asked was by Brian. We were in Disney World for something. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I think it was the big tribute they did for Jim, & we went down for that. While we were there, 1 night I went over & met with Jane Henson, Brian, & Frank, & Brian mentioned me doing it. I was just overwhelmed by the request. It was a huge honor, & it also just scared the daylights out of me, the thought of trying it." When it was decided that STEVE WHITMIRE would take over as the frog, Heather Henson arranged for a Kermit puppet to be sent to Atlanta for Whitmire to practice performing. He thought the puppet smelled like JIM HENSON, & although he put the puppet on once, he couldn't get himself to go near it & try out a voice for months. Eventually, Brian called & asked him to do something with Kermit, record it on tape, & send it to him, so Whitmire performed Kermit singing "[[w:c:muppet:Bein' Green|Bein' GREEN]]". Regarding his 1st performance as Kermit, Whitmire has said: "When we did the special, I always had this fantasy that the 1st time I''' performed '''Kermit it would be a nice, dark little moment in the studio & it would be 5 or 6 of the main guys... It would be real gentle & easy to do. What it turned out to be was that the closing scene of that special had about 50 puppets in it. So it was basically every puppeteer I've ever worked with in New York City, which w/as probably 25-30 people." 1 of the hardest things that Steve Whitmire had to do in The Muppet Christmas Carol''was pre-record 'Kermit's voice for all of the songs 1st, as he recalled in an interview with Muppet Central: "I went to London for the start of Christmas Carol, & they already started working on the music a couple days before I got there. We pre-recorded all of the songs before we did the movie, so the 1st thing I was going to have to do was go in to record '''Kermit's voice, which I was super-nervous about, because I didn't have the puppet to rely on. There was something about seeing the puppet as 1 was hearing my voice, at that stage, that made it more believable & it got people into it. If I just walked in & did Kermit's voice, they didn't buy it necessarily. They were still hearing Jim. If I had the puppet on, it would've more believable." (on taking over the role of Kermit from Jim Henson) "That was really, really scary as you could imagine. I had known Jim for 13 or 14 years at that point & I had worked with him on everything he had done with this group of Muppets. Not SESAME STREET but everything else. We worked very close together. It was super intimidating. It was a great honor to be asked & I was just scared to death. So, Brian & the family made the decision, sent me 1 of the puppets. I took it out of the box. I'd had the puppet on before. I'd never performed it but had had it on my hand just going around the shop. I put him on & held him up in front of a mirror. I knew how to make the puppet talk because I'd been doing this for a long time & I fiddled with some of those expressions that Jim would do with Kermit. Then I opened my mouth to say something & nothing came out. There was no way that I could find the voice. The puppet just sort of looked at me like, "Come on. You can do it". I took it off & put it in a closet & left it there for a month. I couldn't touch it. People always ask us about being the voices of the Muppets, & I know what they mean, but supplying the voice is just 1 small element of what it is we do. In essence, we are actors just like any other actor. We portray a role, & it's a full performance, not just a voice. The established Muppet Performers literally are the characters they bring to life." [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926209/bio Steve Whitmire's IMDB page] After the death of Richard Hunt, Whitmire took over as Beaker to Dave Goelz’s Dr. Bunsen Honeydew adding yet another character to his list: "I think it was Dave's (Goelz's) idea that I do Beaker. They asked Dave, "Who do you think should do Beaker?" & he suggested me cause we like to work together, & we work well together. Beaker was difficult cause I had no clue where it came from in Richard. I didn't know at all how Richard did this. It was really just a matter of being silly with Dave. The truth is, I still don't know where it came from . I just don't know what part of Richard it came from...What facet of his personality. I don't relate to the character the way that Richard did, so really, with Beaker, I'm doing an awful lot of just copying Richard. I wouldn't say that I've got a good handle on that character, but it's fun. It's a fun character." Whitmire joined SESAME STREET in 1993, when it was decided to permanently recast Ernie, although Jim Henson had originally auditioned him for the series years earlier. So, in that year, Steve became Ernie to Frank Oz's Bert, taking Jim's place in the dynamic duo Jim & Frank Oz had formed decades ago. His 1st performance as Ernie was a fishing sketch with Bert, & he transitioned into the role on a more regular basis. Although John Tartaglia substituted during season 2 of [[w:c:muppet:Play With Me Sesame|Play With Me '''SESAME']], Whitmire continued to perform 'Ernie' until Billy Barkhurst took over in 2014. According to '''Whitmire', "Performing Ernie] came about cause they were looking for someone to do the voice for toys. I asked if I could audition for it. I did vocal recordings for Ernie toys for 2-3 years...A lot of them. When it came time to recast the character, I ended up doing it." In contrast to his regular SESAME STREET work as Ernie, Whitmire has rarely performed new material with Kermit the Frog for the show, mainly cause SESAME Workshop lost the rights to him when Disney had bought in February 2004. Among the notable exceptions are sketch where Kermit teaches Grover the difference between light & dark, Kermit reporting on Slimey landing on the moon (EPISODE 3740), Kermit reporting on Slimey returning home (EPISODE 3785), in the song Everybody Be Yo'Self & reporting on the hurricane that hit SESAME STREET (Episode 3976). Whitmire has, however, performed Kermit in the SESAME STREET specials [[w:c:muppet:Elmopalooza|'Elmo'palooza]], [[w:c:muppet:Elmo Saves Christmas (special)|'Elmo''' Saves Christmas]], ''[[w:c:muppet:CinderElmo|Cinder'Elmo']] & the direct-to-video [[w:c:muppet:The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street|The '''Best' of Kermit on SESAME STREET]]. In the early 2000s, Whitmire started performing 'Statler, beginning with the Weezer music video "Keep Fishin'". Whitmire puppeteered him in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie while '''Jerry Nelson looped the voice later; 1 of Whitmire’s lines, "Historical landmark", remained un-looped. Following Nelson's retirement from the role, Steve Whitmire took over as Statler (with the notable exception of [[w:c:muppet:From the Balcony|'Statler''' & Waldorf: From the Balcony]], where Drew Massey assumed the role from the 8th episode onward). In an interview, Whitmire talked about playing 'Statler: "For '''Statler, I was trying to decide if I should make it more like Jerry’s original, or do I make it like Richard's, which everyone knows from The Muppet Show, or do I make it like Jerry’s since Richard’s death. He’s just been passed around a lot. It's always been a problem for me that the characters got passed around. I get very conservative about this idea of 1 person doing the characters & we shouldn't recast them so the character can grow & not be different every time we see them. So, I've tried to aim for more like what Richard did on The Muppet Show. & I know I don't really sound like Richard, & I have so muchfun doing the character. & they only do like 3 lines at a time, but when we ad lib with them between scenes, it's so much fun. We have so much fun."Whitmire, Steve Tough Pigs interview: My Week with Steve: Day 3 In 2008, new Muppet video content was added to Disney Extreme Digital, where in addition to continuing to perform Kermit & Rizzo, Steve Whitmire also took over as The Newsman, another of JIM HENSON’s characters. In September 2009, Whitmire took an unexpected leave from performing Kermit, for appearances on America's Got Talent & the MTV Video Music Awards. Kermit was briefly performed by Artie Esposito in these instances. Whitmire returned to the role at a press conference for Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. Since 2006, Steve has had a limited schedule on SESAME STREET due to a busy schedule with The Walt Disney Company. However, he performed Ernie on several Ready to Learn PSA's, [[w:c:muppet:Count on Sports|'Count''' on Sports]], ''[[w:c:muppet:Abby in Wonderland|'Abby''' in Wonderland]], the song What I Am, a song called [[w:c:muppet:I Wonder|'I''' Wonder]], the TomTom behind-the-scenes video, & on on SESAME STREET at least once a year from 2010 to 2014. He also performed Kermit for his cameo in [[w:c:muppet:Elmo's World|'Elmo'’s World]]: Frogs. Whitmire has stated that he doesn't think he could have taken over Jim Henson’s characters if he hadn't worked w/ Henson for so many years.Louise Gitkow, [[w:c:muppet:Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street|'SESAME''' STREET: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street]], page 135 'STEVE''' WHITMIRE & DAVE GOELZ .]] As acknowledged personally by '''WHITMIRE in many interviews, he & DAVE GOELZ work very well together, just like JIM HENSON did w/ FRANK OZ, & like JERRY NELSON did w/ RICHARD HUNT. The aforementioned Bunsen & Beaker pairing wasn't the only time the 2 would work together as a team. On Fraggle Rock, WHITMIRE’s Wembley often found himself partnered up w/ GOELZ as Boober, & they played Mew & Rugby Tiger respectively in The Christmas Toy. Gonzo the Great & Rizzo the Rat have become an almost inseparable team over the years, beginning w/ The Muppet Christmas Carol. Goelz & Whitmire, in the same film, were paired as Betina & Belinda Cratchit, doing some variations of FRANK OZ’s Miss Piggy. On Muppets Tonight, the 2 remained paired up as Miss Piggy’s nephews, Andy & Randy Pig. Whitmire took over the role of Beaker when Richard Hunt passed away, playing off Goelz's Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. Whitmire also recently took over the role of Statler from Jerry Nelson, who, in 2004, forcibly retired from voicing 'his characters for health reasons, playing off Waldorf, whom Dave Goelz has been performin since 1992 after Jim Henson’s tragic death, &, also during the 1990s, the 2 performed the duo Stinky the Skunk & Jake the Polar Bear on The Animal Show. 'DAVE GOELZ'/'STEVE' WHITMIRE Muppet Pairings ' perform [[w:c:muppet:Statler and Waldorf|'Statler''' & Waldorf]].]] *'Gonzo the Great'/'Rizzo the Rat' *'Gonzo the Great'/'Camilla the Chicken'Camilla the Chicken’s Casting history *'Gonzo the Great'/'Kermit the Frog' *'Gonzo the Great'/Security Guard *[[w:c:muppet:Andy and Randy Pig|'Andy & Randy Pig']] *'Zoot'/'Lips' *'Dr. Bunsen Honeydew'/'Beaker' *'Beauregard'/'Rizzo the Rat' *[[w:c:muppet:Betina and Belinda Cratchit|'Betina' & Belinda Cratchit]] *[[w:c:muppet:Statler and Waldorf|'Statler' & Waldorf]] (Steve/'Dave') *[[w:c:muppet:Statler and Waldorf|'Statler' & Waldorf]] (Dave/'Steve') *'Boober Fraggle'/'Wembley Fraggle' *'Wrench Doozer'/'Sprocket' *Rugby Tiger/Mew *Stinky the Skunk/Jake the Polar Bear *Smerdley/Mr. Briteweight *Jake/Henry Leaving the Muppets Muppeteer Credits *'WHITMIRE'’s primary Muppet characters: **'Kermit the Frog': [[w:c:muppet:The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson|The Muppets Celebrate '''JIM' HENSON]]'' (1990) - 2016 ***'JIM HENSON': Sam & Friends (1955) - The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990) (taken from us on Wednesday, May 16th, 1990) **'Beaker': The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - 2016 ***'RICHARD HUNT': The Muppet Show (1977) - Muppet*Vision 3D (1991); 1992 **'Ernie': [[w:c:muppet:Sesame Street Stays Up Late|'SESAME''' STREET Stays Up Late]]'' (1993) - 2014 ***'JIM HENSON': SESAME STREET EPISODE 1 (1969) - Season 21 (1990) (taken from us on Wednesday, May 16th, 1990) ***Billy Barkhurst: 2014 - 2017 ***Peterr Linz: 2017 - present **'Link Hogthrob': Muppet RaceMania (2000) - 2016 ***'JIM HENSON': The Muppet Show (1977) - The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990) (taken from us on Wednesday, May 16th, 1990) **'Statler': Weezer's "Keep Fishin'" music video (2002) - 2016 ***'RICHARD HUNT': The Muppet Show (1976) - The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990); 1992 ***'Jerry Nelson': The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975); The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - present - Muppets Party Cruise (2003) **'The Newsman': Muppets.com (2008) - 2016 ***'JIM HENSON': The Muppet Show (1976) - [[w:c:muppet:The Jim Henson Hour|The '''Jim' Henson Hour]]'' (1989); 1990 (taken from us on Wednesday, May 16th, 1990) **'Rizzo the Rat' (Muppet character originated by WHITMIRE) - 1980 - 2016 **'Lips' (Muppet character originated by WHITMIRE) - 1980 - 2016 **'Bean Bunny' (Muppet character originated by WHITMIRE) - 1980 - 2016 *''The Muppet Show'' Characters: Billy Boy, Caveman, Foo-Foo, Geri & the Atrics tuba player, Leo (episode 403: Shields & Yarnell), Lips, Pinocchio, Rizzo the Rat, Rowlf the Dog (occasional, hands only), Security Guard, The Snorers' Chorus member, Thog (episode 502), Timmy Monster (occasional, voice in episode 423), Trevor the Gross, The White Rabbit, Winky Pinkerton (episode 308: Loretta Lynn), Zeke (1979 - ca. 1980s) *''The Muppet Movie: 'Kermit the Frog' (assistant for "[[w:c:muppet:The Rainbow Connection|The '''RAINBOW' Connection]]" number) *Jim Frawley's Camera Tests for The Muppet Movie (1978): SweetumsSweetums’ Casting history *''The Great Muppet Caper: 'Rizzo the Rat' & 'Lips' *The Dark Crystal: SkekTek *Fraggle Rock: 'Wembley Fraggle, '''Sprocket, Marlon Fraggle, Murray the Minstrel (except episode 512), Flange Doozer, Crusty Doozer, Flying Batworm, Mermer Merggle, Papa Tree Creature, Phil Fraggle (Muppetry only), Sir Blunderbrain, Venerable Sage Hambo *''The Muppets Take Manhattan: Gil, 'Rizzo the Rat, Dogs *''Dreamchild: The Caterpillar, The Mock Turtle (Muppetry) *Labyrinth: Ambrosius, Fiery 4, 1 of The Four Guards (Muppetry) *The Christmas Toy: Mew *A Muppet Family Christmas: The Christmas Turkey, 'Wembley Fraggle, Sprocket, Rizzo the Rat, Foo-Foo, Lips *''The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: 'Bean Bunny' *Inner Tube: Henry, Duke *[[w:c:muppet:The Jim Henson Hour|The JIM HENSON Hour]]: Flash, Jacques Roach, Waldo C. Graphic, Yellow Extreme, 'Bean Bunny, Foo-Foo *''The Cosby Show: Singing Food *The Muppets at Walt Disney World: 'Rizzo the Rat, Lips, Foo-Foo, Sprocket, Bean Bunny *''[[w:c:muppet:The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson|The Muppets Celebrate JIM HENSON]]: 'Rizzo the Rat, '''Bean Bunny, Kermit the Frog *''Muppet*Vision 3D: 'Bean Bunny, '''Rizzo the Rat, Waldo C. Graphic *''Dinosaurs: B.P. Richfield (puppet), Robbie Sinclair (face), Chief Elder (face), Mr. Mason Dixon, Sonny, Woody, 'Blarney, Judge H . T . Stone(puppet) *''The Muppet Christmas Carol: Belinda Cratchit, Laundress, 'Kermit the Frog (as Bob Cratchit), Bean Bunny, Rizzo the Rat, Lips, Beaker, Sprocket, Whatnots, Rats, Inkspots, Pig Buisnessman *''Muppet Meeting Films: 'Flunky, '''Kermit the Frog, Mr. Briteweight *''Billy Bunny’s Animal Songs: 'Kermit the Frog' *[[w:c:muppet:Sesame Street Stays Up Late|'SESAME' STREET Stays Up Late]]: 'Ernie' *SESAME STREET: 'Ernie' (1993 - 2014), 'Kermit the Frog' (1996 - 2001; 2009), Dr. Feel, Guy Smiley (Season 32) *[[w:c:muppet:It's Not Easy Being Green (Muppet Sing Alongs)|Muppet Sing-A-Long: It's Not Easy Being GREEN]]: 'Kermit the Frog' *'JIM HENSON’s The Animal Show with Stinky & Jake: '''Jake the Polar Bear *''Muppet Classic Theater: 'Rizzo the Rat, '''Kermit the Frog, Andy Pig *''Muppets on Wheels: 'Kermit the Frog' *Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree: 'Kermit the Frog' *Muppet Treasure Island: Walleye Pike, 'Rizzo the Rat, '''Kermit the Frog (as Captain Abraham Smollett), Beaker, Jacques Roach, Inkspots, The Dodo, Rats *''Things That Fly: 'Kermit the Frog, Co-Pilot *''Muppets Tonight: Andy Pig, Captain Pighead, Eugene, Lash Holstein, Miss Weatherington, Mr. Poodlepants, 'Kermit the Frog, Beaker, Rizzo the Rat, Meepzorp, George the Janitor, Bug Llewelyn, Farm person, Pigeons, Nigel's Mom, Alphonso D'Bruzzo *''[[w:c:muppet:Elmo Saves Christmas (special)|'Elmo' Saves Christmas]]: 'Ernie' & 'Kermit the Frog' *[[w:c:muppet:123 Count with Me|123 Count with ME]]: 'Ernie' *Quiet Time: 'Ernie' *[[w:c:muppet:Elmopalooza|'Elmo'palooza]]: 'Ernie' & 'Kermit the Frog' *[[w:c:muppet:The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street|The Best of Kermit on SESAME STREET]]: 'Kermit the Frog' *Muppets from Space: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, Cosmic Fish, Beach Hippie *''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland|The Adventures of Elmo in GROUCH'land]]: '''Ernie, Bad Humor Man, Sharon Groan, Stuckweed, Football Stenchman *''[[w:c:muppet:CinderElmo|Cinder'Elmo']]: Prince the Dog, 'Ernie, '''Kermit the Frog *''Muppet RaceMania: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Link Hogthrob, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, Gil, Flange Doozer *''[[w:c:muppet:Play With Me Sesame|Play With Me SESAME]]: 'Ernie' *[[w:c:muppet:Bert & Ernie's Word Play|'Bert' & Ernie’s Word Play]]: 'Ernie, Lead Singer of The Frosty Four, Mo, Troll *''[[w:c:muppet:Kermit's Swamp Years|'''Kermit’s Swamp Years]]: 'Jack Rabbit, '''Kermit the Frog, [[w:c:muppet:Young Kermit|Young Kermit]], Chico *''[[w:c:muppet:It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie|It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie]]: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, Mr. Poodlepants, Statler (1 line) & 1 of the Elvises *''Talk, Read, Write: The King of Reading & Writing *Muppets Party Cruise: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Link Hogthrob, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, Andy Pig *''The Muppets ' Wizard of Oz: 'Kermit the Frog' (as 'the Scarecrow), '''Rizzo the Rat (as the Mayor of Munchkinland), Beaker, Statler (as Kalidah Critic), Bean Bunny *''[[w:c:muppet:From the Balcony|'Statler' & Waldorf : From the Balcony]]: 'Statler' (1 episode) *Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium: 'Kermit the Frog' *Disney Xtreme Digital: 'Kermit the Frog, '''The Newsman, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Statler, Bean Bunny, Singing Food, Turkey *''Muppet viral videos: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Statler, Pumpkins, Penguins, Turkey, Rabbits *''[[w:c:muppet:Count on_Sports|'Count' on Sports]]: 'Ernie' *Studio DC : Almost Live: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat, Beaker & Statler *''[[w:c:muppet:Abby in Wonderland|'Abby' in Wonderland]]: 'Ernie' *A Muppets Christmas : Letters to Santa: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat, Beaker & Statler *''Bohemian Rhapsody: 'Kermit the Frog, '''The Newsman, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, & Statler *''Christmas in Rockefeller Center: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Rizzo the Rat & Lips *''The Muppets: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Link Hogthrob, The Newsman, Lips, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, & Statler *''Late Night with'' Jimmy Fallon: Kermit the Frog ("When the River Meets the Sea") *''Muppets Most Wanted: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Link Hogthrob, The Newsman, Lips, Rizzo the Rat, Foo-Foo, Beaker, & Statler *''Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Lips, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, & Statler *''Just for Laughs: 'Kermit the Frog, '''Beaker, & Statler Predecessors/Successors Trivia *'WHITMIRE' is right-handed. *Was nicknamed Kermit in his youth cause he aspired to become a puppeteer & even performed with a Kermit which he made. His high school yearbook even has the name "Kermit" on the front cover. *Shares the same birthday as JIM HENSON (September 24th). *Apparently, at 1 of WHITMIRE’s last meetings with JIM HENSON, HENSON commented that although WHITMIRE was a main Muppeteer he just didn't really have any main Muppet characters besides Rizzo the Rat & Bean Bunny & told him that he was going to try to create a new main character for WHITMIRE to perform. *'STEVE' WHITMIRE's favorite Muppet movie is The Muppet Movie.2momluvme interview *In The Muppet Movie, he used a remote control device to operate Kermit’s hand while playing the banjo during [[w:c:muppet:The Rainbow Connection|The '''RAINBOW' Connection]].''The Importance of Jim Henson pg 76-77 *A quote from the Muppet Central interview with STEVE WHITMIRE: "I designed the little mechanism inside of [Rizzo] that makes his mouth move." *Supporter/chairperson & volunteer at actress Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve SHAMBALA, located in Acton, CA. WHITMIRE & his wife, Melissa have volunteered count'less hours helping bring wild cats for veterinarian care, etc. *Characters of 'JIM HENSON’s STEVE WHITMIRE has performed once or consistently are: **'Kermit the Frog': [[w:c:muppet:The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson|The Muppets Celebrate '''JIM' HENSON]]'' (1990) - 2016 **'Ernie': [[w:c:muppet:Sesame Street Stays Up Late|'SESAME''' STREET Stays Up Late]]'' (1993) - 2014 **'The Newsman': Muppets.com (2008) - 2016 **'Link Hogthrob': Muppet RaceMania (2000) - 2016 **'Rowlf the Dog' (occasionally on The Muppet Show; right hand only) **'Dr. Teeth' (The Muppet Show Live (2001) (assistant to JOHN KENNEDY; Muppetry only; Hands of Dr. Teeth (assistant to BILL BARRETTA; ca. 2005 - present)) **'Guy Smiley': SESAME STREET season 32 (2001) **'The Swedish Chef': I Love Lucy Mania Screen Test (1999)The Swedish Chef’s Casting history **Zeke (1979 - ca. 1980s) **Leo: The Muppet Show Episode 403) (1979) **'Waldorf': Parts of LittleBigPlanet 2 (2011)LittleBigPlanet 2 Part 2 on YouTube *'STEVE' WHITMIRE has been seen & heard taking JIM HENSON’s place in these pairings HENSON & FRANK OZ made before HENSON passed away: **'Ernie'/'Bert' **'Ernie'/'Cookie Monster' **'Ernie'/'Grover' **'Kermit the Frog'/'Grover' **'Kermit the Frog'/'Miss Piggy' **'Kermit the Frog'/'Fozzie Bear' **'Kermit the Frog'/'Sam the Eagle' **'The Swedish Chef'/'Fozzie Bear' (I Love Lucy Movie Mania Screen Test) Proof Special extra images File:Rizzo the Rat.jpg|'Rizzo the Rat' STEVE WHITMIRE (1980 - present) File:Lips.jpg|'Lips' STEVE WHITMIRE (1981 - present) File:Bean Bunny.jpg|'Bean Bunny' STEVE WHITMIRE (1986 - present) File:Waldo C. Graphic.png|'Waldo C. Graphic' STEVE WHITMIRE File:Kermit the Frog.jpg|'Kermit the Frog' JIM HENSON (1955 - 1990) STEVE WHITMIRE (1990 - present) File:Beaker.jpg|'Beaker' RICHARD HHUNT (1977 - 1992) STEVE WHITMIRE (1992 - present) File:Ernie & Rubber Duckie.jpg|'Ernie' JIM HENSON (1969 - 1990) STEVE WHITMIRE (1993 - 2014) Billy Barkhurst (2014 - present) File:Link Hogthrob.jpg|'Link Hogthrob' JIM HENSON (1977 - 1990) STEVE WHITMIRE (2000 - present) File:Statler.jpg|'Statler' RICHARD HUNT (1976 - 1992) JERRY NELSON (1975; 1992 - 2003) STEVE WHITMIRE (2002 - present) File:The Newsman.jpg|'The Newsman' JIM HENSON (1976 - 1990) STEVE WHITMIRE (2008 - present) File:Wembley Fraggle.jpg|'Wembley Fraggle' STEVE WHITMIRE File:Bad Humor Man 1.jpg|'Bad Humor Man' STEVE WHITMIRE|link=Bad Humor Man File:Sharon Groan.jpg|'Sharon Groan' STEVE WHITMIRE|link=Sharon Groan File:Football Stenchman.jpg|Football Stenchman STEVE WHITMIRE|link=Football Stenchman File:Betina & Belinda Cratchit.jpg|Betina & Belinda Cratchit DAVE GOELZ/'STEVE' WHITMIRE External links *'STEVE WHITMIRE' on IMDb *Muppet Central's [http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/interviews/whitmire1.shtml interview with WHITMIRE] *[http://www.2momluvme.com/interview.html 2momluvme interview with 'WHITMIRE] *Tough Pigs interview - **Part 1 **Part 2 **Part 3 **Part 4 **Part 5 *Integral Life website Interview See also *'Muppeteers' *Muppet Performers *Muppet Puppeteers *Muppet Voice Actors *Creature Shop Puppeteers *Animated Voice Actors *[[w:c:muppet:Steve Whitmire Cameos|'STEVE' WHITMIRE Cameos]] *'STEVE WHITMIRE' on the Muppet Wiki *'STEVE WHITMIRE' on the Puppet Wiki *'STEVE WHITMIRE' on the [[w:c:oscarthegrouch:The Oscar the Grouch Wiki|'OSCAR' THE GROUCH Wiki]] Page Navigation Whitmire, Steve